2 YEARS!

Okay so this is a celebration post....and a get you updated post!  As you have probably come to know.....that's just the kind of poster I am...combine everything!

So one  Monday we had a check-up!  Everything looked great Dr. Margolin said, which was a huge relief for Nick and I.  We had been very nervous about this check-up.  Her last check-up was in January and she looked so great the Dr. decided that she didn't need to see Faye every two months as planned, and that we could move it to every three months!  Great news right!  Well it was until right before this last checkup she got sick.  She had gotten a really bad cough, and even sometimes would complain of her legs hurting.  It really hit me when I got a call from the school nurse saying Faye had a fever and was complaining of leg pain! To be honest I was scared. She would ask me for medicine to help her legs.  Now anyone who has followed Faye from the beginning knows that when she was diagnosed we took her into the Dr. because she had a cough she couldn't get rid of, and her legs were hurting so bad she couldn't walk.  Of course this time she never stopped walking...but with it being the same week as Nixon's Birthday, our minds couldn't help but flashback to just two short years ago!  So you can imagine Nick's and my relief when the blood tests came back saying everything was fine!

 

She even didnt cry with the finger poke! 

 

"Don't take my picture dad!"

 

 This time she even seemed a bit interested.  Telling the nurse "Thats alot of blood." 

Now here is where we start where we left off......... 

Packing to move..... everything and anything was free game!

 

 First time riding the bus! 

 

 We were able to go see a Dynamo game with "Bald is Beautiful!"

I think it was a little warm...what do you think?

 

 Faye is trying to keep "COOL"

 

 Or "COOLER"

 On September 9th we celebrated one year being home from the hospital!  I remember thinking how fast time had gone by......and now we are at 2 years since everything started!

Through the hospital faye was able to participate in a fashion show!  I obviously didnt get good pictures!  Because she was so excited about it!  THey had make-up people there to do their make-up!

 

And hairdressers to fix up their hair! This picture she looks really mad!  I think she just didn't want me to take her picture.  

 

The finished product!

 

All the kids were paired up with a couple, or someone who has given a lot to the program.  Faye was paired up with this sweet old lady and her daughters.  They were seriously so nice.  She even gave Faye this little pink purse to go with her dress.

 

 

Faye and her frined Laurel...Laurel was also paired up with them.

 

We went down to Pearland to participate in a 5 K to support B.I.G Love, they were the group that would come to our room every Thursday with carts full of stuff...fun stuff, and useful stuff!

She hasn't lost her stylish touch. 

 

Through Make A Wish, Faye and Nick were able to go see and meet the Blue Angels.

 

Halloween!

 

Sleeping Beauty, Woody, Harry Potter

 

Everyone thought Faye was Cinderella because of the Blue dress.....but if you know Sleeping Beauty she does have both!  Pink and Blue...Faye opted for Blue!

 

First Pony Tail........with  the help of A LOT of bobby pins!

 

School Christmas Party.

 

Christmas morning, Santa brought Faye a wiggle car, just like she had in the hospital!  Nixon was just as excited about it obviously!

 

Christmas PJ's...Look at the attitude they all have in this picture!  Mitchell is just Mitchell, Faye is posing...and Nixon is just plain mad!

 

The 100th day of school!  They needed to wear a shirt that had 100 of something on it.  We found this trim at Hobby Lobby with Buttons on it!  Faye counted out 100 and I sewed it on!  She loved that the Buttons would clang when she walked!

 

Picture Day!

 

She still loves to make cupcakes......I realized she looks just the same as she did at picture day, but this is not the same day!  

 

Just had to post this...we had to go to the store...and this is how Faye got ready!

 

I love this close up...see how she wrapped the necklace around her scarf!

 

 Now lets talk about Mitchell for a second!  As I was looking back, I cannot believe I didn't post about this....well I can!  But this is something that cannot go unnoticed!

Last summer Mitchell came to Nick and I one day and said he wanted to do a Lemonade stand!  At first I was very hesitant. I didn't want the neighbors to feel like  they had to stop by!  But against everything in me we let Mitchell do his Lemonade stand!  I made some chocolate chip cookies, and he helped make the Lemonade. Nick made him write up a business plan to figure out how he was going to pay for all of his supplies, and what he was going to charge...and when he was going to do the Lemonade stand!  So he looked up a recipe for Lemonade..... took the $7 he had in his piggy bank and we went to the store to buy the 12 Lemons he needed, cups and napkins.  We figured ingredients for one batch of cookies was $4.00.

After the first day he decided homemade Lemonade was too much work, so he opted for the powdered stuff!  It was much easier!  He had decided he was going to work Mon-Thurs start at 5:00 (Right when Dads were getting off work) and go til he ran out!

He did really well the first day.....which to be honest I thought it was going to be just a one day thing.  So he went out again the next day.  After the first couple days he made close to $100.  So Nick and I asked him what he wanted to do with the money...his reply "I think I am going to give it to Texas Children's Hospital"

(he decided 10% to tithing first, 15% for him...and everything else to the hospital...unless someone came and gave him a $20 or larger...that went straight to the hospital)

So again the next week he went out and sold Lemonade and Cookies!  A neighbor saw him sitting out is the heat, and offered to let Mitchell borrow his tent.

 

Word spread that he was giving some of the money to Texas Childrens.....so someone called the news.

 

As if through everything with Faye we hadn't already seen the generosity of people....but Holy Cow what a humbling experience.

 

A few particular stories that stood out:

~A lady had come every day for the first few days, and then one day she brought Nick and I a card.  In the card there was a letter that said basically...."It took her by surprise when she asked Mitchell what he was going to do with his Lemonade money and she thought he would say go buy a game, and a bike...but when he said "I am giving it to Texas Children's Hospital, because my sister was there, and I want to help the other kids" This lady proceeded to write that her daughter was at Texas Children's when she was 18 months old....and is now 22 and is about to have her first baby in a few weeks.  

~Another Lady stopped by who her husband had just passed away in February from complications with AML (what Faye had) She gave a check for $500

~Another man saw Mitchell on the news, he didnt know exactally where we lived, but he came looking for Mitchell, he asked our neighbors and found out where we lived, we werent home, but he left a note on out door asking us to call him.  I called him, and he said he wanted to do something nice for Mitchell.  So he gave a check for $750 to go straight to the hospital, then he wrote Mitchell a check for $250, he told Mitchell to take that money and go do something fun and also take his sister to the movies!

 

Nixon was in heaven with this Lemonade stand...fresh Chocolate Chip cookies everyday!

 

For his last week he decided to have a "BIG EVENT" so he needed to make signs advertising!

 

 

 

When it was all said and done he made about $2000 for the hospital.  We took the money to the hospital, and they were so impressed, they grabbed Dr. Poplack who is the head of the cancer center!  Dr. Poplack told Mitchell that if he ever needed anything or decided to go into the medical field, to give him a call!

 

So there you have it you are updated!  Everything is great, we are doing wonderful! 

Just a few more pictures....

Easter!

 

I cannot tell you how incredibly blessed I feel!  I am truly grateful for the strength of this little girl, and the love from all of you!